Frugal Living Goes To The Movies!

The following are thoughts and ideas about going to the movie theaters in 2010.

Well, my BIG advice is… don’t. It’s EXPENSIVE! Save your money.

Or better yet, go only when there’s a particular movie that you absolutely must-see, which fits the following criteria:

When is a movie really worth seeing on the big screen?

This movie is something that WILL truly be enjoyed on the BIG SCREEN, and is dependent upon viewing on a big screen.

This movie will be popular enough that it would have a long theater life and won’t show up on DVD for quite some time.

This movie is a big enough cultural phenomenon and blockbuster that you can honestly say it is a successful blockbuster.

This movie is a rare, art or foreign movie, and you’re worried it might not become available on DVD later (rare, but still something to consider).

When NOT To Go To The Movies… Even In 3-D

The movie industry knows that to get people to go to the theaters nowadays and spend their hard-earned cash, you have to offer something special, spectacular…. like 3-D and IMAX. That seems to be the latest trend in 2010.

Anyway, a part of the frugal living philosophy is patience. And, if you don’t mind NOT being the first person on your block to have seen the movie first, it’s really best to wait until the movie comes out on DVD. Of course, waiting for it to come out on regular cable TV would be stretching that patience a bit, realistically speaking.

The Rising Cost of Movie Theater Tickets, and Gasoline!

Nowadays, movies get released on Blu-ray and DVD just months after they’ve premiered in the theaters. And besides, many families have nice home theater setups, and that means watching the movie in the privacy and comfort of your own home, with HD quality picture and sound.

In recent years, the cost of going to the movies has skyrocketed, along with the price of gasoline, so more and more people watching are watching movies at home. But, don’t feel so bad if you’re a “homebody”.

People aren’t going to the movies as much because they watch them at home.

Americans are cocooning. People are spending more time at home; families are trying to spend more time together.

The Advantages of Watching Movies At Home

Since the rise of Netflix, people have been getting their movies by mail (Blockbuster soon caught onto the idea as well). These online services make it easy to get the latest DVD releases in your mailbox. You can hold on to the movies as long as you like, and simply drop them in the mail when you’re done.

One thing that I’ve realized in being more frugal, is that I don’t need to amass a humongous collection of movies. If I wish to watch an older movie not available in my home collection, I can just order it through Netflix and Blockbuster.

As a matter of fact, my mission nowadays is to reduce my DVD collection to only those movies I absolutely would be watching over and over. Most movies are the kind that, once you’ve seen them (even 2-3 times), you probably wouldn’t watch again.

My own DVD collection is tiny compared to most. I probably have less than 50 DVDs, and that amount will be dwindling even more as I resell them online. Again, if I need to see a movie, whether new or old, I can rent it. And for a low monthly fee I can watch a lot of movies!

I haven’t gotten into the streaming/downloading of movies via Netflix or Blockbuster. I’d want to be able to stream them to my TV, but I don’t have the equipment to do that effectively. But, I’m happy right now just renting DVDs and Blu-rays.

I have a Blockbuster account (I’ve been a longtime customer) and I like the fact that you have the option to go into a Blockbuster store and exchange a “mailed” movie for an “in-store” movie without any extra fees, and I can also keep the in-store movie as long as I like.

When was the last time I’ve been to the movie theater?

I honestly can’t remember. It’s been months. And I don’t remember the movie! Well, it might’ve been the Michael Jackson documentary, “This Is It!”. This would fall into the category under “This movie is a big enough cultural phenomenon and blockbuster that you can honestly say it is a successful blockbuster.” But then again, a month or two later it came out on DVD, so….

I could’ve watched “Avatar” and I know the special effects would’ve been reason enough to see it in the theaters. And, also “Alice in Wonderland”. Someone said they were bored to tears with Alice in Wonderland… despite the special effects and being featured in 3-D. Well, the story is the same old Alice in Wonderland story, rehashed and redone to… well… make more profits!

People, be more frugal and selective when it comes to movies. It’s your hard-earned money. And why not save it for a nice trip to Cancun or Bora Bora?

Carlos Rull is a musician living in the San Diego area. His interests include Yoga, Eastern Philosophy, Zen Buddhism, and Gardening. He plays drums, piano, and composes New Age & Ambient music, and his albums are available on iTunes and Amazon.com.